


What Happens Now?

by I_O_U_an_apple



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Death, Desperation, Draco's lost his family, Fluff, Loss, M/M, Post Deathly Hallows, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, harry comforts him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 15:32:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3330920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_O_U_an_apple/pseuds/I_O_U_an_apple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Battle of Hogwarts has ended, Voldemort is dead. Harry looks around him, seeing the devastation he has caused. He finds someone who needs comforting more than he does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Happens Now?

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters, they all belong to the marvellous J.K. Rowling.  
> Please forgive me for any grammatical errors because it's 3.30am but I'm determined to upload this first. So, yeah.

Harry took in the scene before him. The once grand Great Hall had been broken, burned. Some of the walls had crumbled like some pathetic sand sculpture, all the tables and chairs destroyed, the once floating candles were strewn all over the floor. There was still a raging fire yet to be extinguished in the back room where Harry had once gone with his fellow competitors in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  
The main thing that he noticed, however, was the feeling of despair and emptiness in the pit of his stomach, churning like a potion. Families all around him were grieving for those who they'd lost. And it was all his fault.  
Harry paid most mind to the Weasley family, whom he could not face. They'd lost Fred, and they'd lost Ginny. All because of him. He thought they'd never forgive him.  
He looked upon the rest of the mourners, and noticed Neville had been reunited with his Grandmother, who was hugging him, overcome with joy that her grandson had just killed a part of Voldemort.  
He also noticed Luna; her father had come from their home by the Burrow, and they were both standing there, talking, apparently unaware of everything going on around them, but then, since when had they done anything else? Harry thought he heard the word Nargle thrown in between the pair.  
Finally, he laid eyes on someone who he had never gotten along with, but someone who had saved his life; well, sort of. He hadn't given them away anyway.  
Draco Malfoy stood alone, not registering anything around him. Harry watched as his father tried to approach and hug him, only to be pushed away by Draco, and Harry watched as Lucius stormed out of the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Harry wondered where his mother was, what had happened to her during the Final Battle...and then he saw Narcissa's body, not far from Draco, crumpled, broken.  
Harry approached Draco...he could see the boy was crying. Shaking.  
Draco looked up at him as he approached, and looked as though he wanted to say something.  
All that came out of his mouth was a muffled "I'm sorry," as Draco slumped to the floor, his shaking legs finally giving way.  
Harry lowered himself down next to him, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling his close. Draco initially flinched away from the touch, then realised he needed someone now, and he couldn't afford to push people away. So he crumbled against the body next to him, and felt strong arms wrapping around him, protecting him from any more torture.  
Draco nestled his head into the crook of Harry's neck, forgetting the world for just a second. He felt Harry run his fingers through his bright blonde hair, and felt his other hand run up and down his back, rubbing small circles as he went.  
"Shhh..." Harry comforted him. "It's okay now, Draco, it's all over, no-one can hurt you anymore..."  
He sobbed into Harry, oblivious to the funny looks that people were giving to a Death Eater wrapped up in the Golden Boy's arms.  
"I'm so sorry," Draco kept whispering into Harry's chest.  
"Shh," Harry mumbled into his hair, rocking them both back and forth slightly. "You have nothing to be sorry for. What's done is done."  
"I haven't done anything to deserve your forgiveness! I don't understand!" Draco said, every one of his sobs shuddering his frail body.  
"Draco..." Harry began. "Draco, look at me."  
When Draco still didn't move, Harry moved away slightly, putting one of his hands under Draco's chin and lifting his head, their eyes locking.  
"Draco, listen carefully," Harry instructed, Draco nodding slowly. "I don't blame you. For any of it. None of this is your fault."  
And Draco started crying again, desperately grabbing onto the front of Harry's jumper, which had been soiled by blood and dirt during the Final Battle.  
Harry supposed this was shock. He wrapped both arms tightly around Draco, practically pulling him onto his lap. Draco's head was tucked underneath Harry's chin, and Harry realised how thin Draco was.  
"Shhh, easy Draco," he whispered against his hair.  
"He tortured me, every day he was staying at the house, and my father just stood there was watched him," he cried out. Harry soothed him all along. "You have no idea what it was like, being threatened by him! He threatened to kill me and my mother if I didn't follow through with the plan!" Draco sobbed harder than ever now. "He succeeded with killing my mother."  
"I'm sorry Draco..." Harry said quietly. "I know exactly what you're going through. He did the same thing to my mother."  
Harry let a few tears escape his eyes then, and realised how puffy and dry they felt. They he remembered that he hadn't had a peaceful night's sleep in around two years. Tonight's probably wouldn't be that peaceful either, he expected that the events of late would haunt his dreams for many years to come. But he didn't care how bad his dreams promised to be, he desperately needed sleep.  
He was aware of Madam Pomfrey standing close to them, and she was holding a bottle of something.  
"Here, this is a sleeping draught," she explained, holding out the bottle. "There's enough in there for both of you. It'll keep the bad dreams at bay."  
"Thank you," Harry said, as he took the small bottle of dark purple liquid from her hand. He poured a small amount into Draco's mouth, and put the rest in his pocket.  
Harry began to get up, pulling the weight of Draco up with him. Most people had left the Hall by now, apart from the professors, who were all deep in discussion.  
Draco whimpered, staggering backwards, and Harry reached out quickly, grabbing his pale hand before he fell to the floor again.  
"Come on, Draco," he soothed. "We both need some rest."  
Draco didn't protest, so Harry wrapped his arm around Draco's waist, pulling him up against the length of his body, supporting his weight entirely.  
Harry made towards the Dungeons, with the plan to send Draco back to the Slytherin dormitory. However when he reached the top of the stairs, Draco mumbled so quietly that Harry had to check to see if it was actually Draco speaking.  
"Don't make me go back there...I can't go back down there, Harry, please."  
Harry couldn't think of anywhere else to take him, apart from one, but he didn't think Draco would approve.  
"Gryffindor common room, then?"  
Draco nodded his head, then let it flop down onto Harry's shoulder.  
Harry began climbing the steps, picking his way through the rubble. The once grant marble staircase now had some giant chunks missing, and colourful stones that once lived inside the hour glasses of the four houses littered the floor.  
Harry quickly realised, after climbing approximately three steps, that he would never make it all the way back to the common room, practically carrying Draco. Then he realised that he could probably apparate.  
"Draco, hold on tight to me, okay? We're going to have to apparate."  
Draco nodded again, wrapping both his arms around Harry's waist, Harry doing the same, so the fronts of the bodies were pressed tight against each other.  
Suddenly, they were outside the Portrait Hole, no longer inhabited by the Fat Lady, who had made her escape during the Battle. The portrait swung forwards. Draco still hadn't let go.  
"We have to climb through there now, and to do that, you're going to have to let go of me," Harry explained.  
Draco reluctantly removed his arms; he'd enjoyed being so close to Harry much more than he ever expected. He climbed through, and found himself in an empty, dark red, circular room, with Gryffindor emblems hanging everywhere; on flags, painted onto the walls, in pictures. As soon as Harry had clambered in behind him, Draco resumed his place at Harry's side, wrapping an arm around his waist again, Harry doing the same.  
Harry led Draco over to a comfortable looking sofa in front of the dying embers of the fire, which still emitted a comfortable heat. He sat him down gently, grabbing a blanket from the sofa opposite. He gestured for Draco to lay down, and wrapped the blanket around him.  
He was about to walk away, when Draco grabbed his hand.  
"Don't leave me," Draco whispered, "please don't leave me alone again."  
Harry knelt down at Draco's head. "Where do you want me to go?" He asked.  
Draco answered by shifting over on the sofa, making enough room for Harry to lay comfortably next to him.  
"Are you sure?" Harry asked, unsure if Draco knew exactly what he was doing.  
Draco nodded, sleepily, and lifted the blanket so Harry could crawl underneath. Harry did, and Draco proceeded to wrapping his arms around Harry's waist again, pulling him close. Harry did the same, Draco's head once again fitting perfectly underneath his chin.  
He whispered words of comfort to Draco, until the gentle, even rise and fall of his chest against his own told him that he was asleep.  
Harry pressed a kiss to the top of Draco's head, whispering "Good night, Draco."  
"Night," Draco whispered back, lifting his head to smile at Harry, before pressing his own kiss to Harry's lips. Then he snuggled into Harry's chest, closer than ever before.  
Harry put it down to the sleeping potion that Draco was being so cuddly and, actually, nice for possibly the first time in his life. Although he did think he could get used to falling asleep with Draco wrapped around him. Sleep came quickly, and Harry found himself greeted by a welcomed peaceful, dreamless sleep, the first in a very long time.

~End~

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been in my notes for quite a while now, and I watched Deathly Hallows pt 2 tonight for the first time and I'm dead so I thought I should write it.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it :)  
> Please notify me of any grammatical errors, and I will sort them out.


End file.
